Sole-leveling machine.



H. A. WEBSTER.

SOLE LEVELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 1330.19, 1904.

940,627. Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

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@gli iI H. A. WEBSTER. SOLE LBVELING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DEO. 19,1904.

Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

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H. A. WEBSTER.

SOLE LEVELING MGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEU. 19L 1904. 940,627, Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

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H. A. WEBSTER. SOLE LEVBLING MAGHINE. APPLICATION FILED DBU. 19, 1904.

940,627. Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

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940,627. Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

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SOLE LEVELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Dnc. 19, 1904.

J/ Wm @y UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

HAROLD A. WEBSTER, OF HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGN- MENTS, TO CHARLES K. FOX, OF HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS.

SOLE-LEVELING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

To all 'whom it may concern:

.Be it known that l, HAROLD A. Vvlnsfrnn, of Haverhill, in the county ofEssex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulTmprovements in Solelniveling Machines, of which the following is aspeeilication.

This invention relates to sole-leveling inachines, and consists incertain improvements upon such machines which will be herein after fullydescribed and claimed.

Hitherto it has been diticult with sole-leveling machines in which theleveling-tool is a roll, to press down and compact the edges of the solein those portions where the curvature is the most abrupt, especially inthe shank portion, and as a result the soles of shoes operated on bysuch machines have not conformed properly to the shape of the last andof the foot of the wearer. This difficulty was overcome in a machineheretofore constructed by providing rolls having' two ditferently-curvedZones, one shaped to act on a fore-part edge of a sole and the other,with a shorter radius of curvature adapted to act on a shank edge, theaxis of the roll being always held parallel to itself and capable ofmoving only toward and away from the shoe. In the present machine thesame result is achieved in a more perfect manner by providing` themachine with a roll mounted so as to be capable of turning about twoaxes substantially perpendicular to each other and to the axis of theroll, and furnishing means for oscillating the roll about one of thesaid axes; and it is in this improved cons'truction and arrangement thatmy present invention principally cons (lf the accompanying drawings,-..-gure 1 represents a rear elevation of a sole-leveling machineembodying the preferred form of my invention. Figs. Q and 3 representelevations as seen from opposite sides of the machine. Fig. 2a is adetailed view of the clutch, the same being viewed as a vertical sectiontaken through the center of shaft 29. Fig. 2b is an elevation of thesame mechanism as seen from the right of Fig. 2a. Figs. L1, 5 and 6represent similar views of a modi tied form of the invention.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

The machine comprises the supporting frame 10 which carries the shaft11, holder 13, jacks 111, the various leveling-rolls, and operatingmechanism therefor.

vThe novel features of this invention consist of a roll 1 which isprovided with trunnions 2 mounted in bearing blocks 99 slidablysupported on a track carried by or formed on the curved arms of a yoke100, the latter being pivoted at 102 to a bracket 103 on a spindle 10aextending through and rotatably mounted in a tubular bearing formed in atool-holder 105 pivotally mounted on the driving-shaft 61 so as to becapable of being moved toward and away from the jack-carrying head 13.The construction and arrangement of the tool-holder is such that whenthe tool is in position to act upon a shoe carried by one of the jacksshown in Fig. 2, the bearing for the bracket 103 and its spindle10stextends approximately in the same direction as the shoe carried bythe j ack, and the axis of the spindle 104 and the point of Contactbetween the roll and the shoe are substantially or nearly in the samestraight line. Thus when the spindle is oscillated by means to bepresently described, the roll will tilt laterally in such a way as toroll from side to side over the sole of the shoe practically withoutsliding movement.

The mechanism for oscillating the roll in the manner referred tocomprises an arm 106 mounted on the end of spindle 104C, an eccentric107 on the main driving-shaft 29, and an eccentric rod 108 pivoted tothe arm 100 and connected to an eccentric strap 109 surrounding theeccentric.

The jacks are caused to move in the direct-ion of the arrow in Fig. 2,by rotation of the shaft 11 on which the head 13 which l,arries thejacks is mounted, from shaft 61, which is itself operated from thedrivingshaft 29 by belt 2G running over pulleys 62 28 on these twoshafts respectively, through the following` mechanism; shaft 01 carriesbevel gear G3 meshing with a second bevel gear 110- on a shaft journaledin a bracket 11S mounted on the frame 1,0. This shaft carries a worm 112in gear with a wormwheel 113 journaled on stud 119 which also supports adisk 114 carrying a number of projections or studs 115, of which thereare as many as there are jacks carried by the head, and which take intoradial slots 116 in a disk 117 keyed or otherwise rigidly connected tothe shaft 11. This mechanism,

as will be readily apparent, gives the jacks a motion which isalternately fast and slow, for the disk 114:V rotates at a constantspeed and the studs engage disk 117 at constantlyvarying distances fromits center. Thus when disk 1111 is in such a position that one of itsstuds 115 is in line with the centers of the stud 119 and shaft 11 andengaged in a slot 11G, being then moving directly across the line of theslot and at the minimum distance from. shaft 11, the moment arm on whichthe stud acts, that is, the distance between shaft 11 and the point atwhich the stud engages the side of the slot, is so short that a smallangle of motion of the stud turns disk 117 through a large angle and theshaft 11 and head 13 are rotated with great comparative rapidity, theresult being the same as that attained by a large gear in mesh with asmall one. On the other hand, when the stud is just entering or justleaving a slot (such position being shown in F ig. 3) its line of motionextends almost in the same direction as the slot it engages, so that acomparatively great amount of travel of the stud is necessary to turnthe disk even slightly, and the latter is then given a very slow motion,the speed of disk 114C being always the same. The disks and studs are soarranged that the slowest motion is given to the jacks when the shankpart near the broad portion of the sole of one of them is engaged withthe roll. r1`he greatest extremes of speed consistent with smoothrunning are obtained when there are four studs and four slots employedand the proportions are substantially the same as here shown.

In order to bring the roll 1 into operative relation when the shank of ashoe carried by one of the jacks is adjacent to the roll and retain theroll in inoperative position at all other times, the following mechanismis provided: Connected to the shaft 11 adjacent the ack-holder, is acam-disk or rest 51 which has a plurality of recesses 53 and projections52, one of each being adjacent each ack, the tool-holder 105 beingformed with an arm or bracket 7 which carries a roll 5-t adapted to bearagainst the outer surface of the disk 51 and to be operated by theprojections and recesses. r1`he roll 5t is held against the disk bymeans of a bellcrank lever S4: which bears against a pin S3 carried bythe arm 7, the lever being caused to act continuously with yieldingpressure by means of a weight 93 attached by a spring 05 to the end ofthe horizontal arm of the lever. r1`he roll is also yieldingly projectedfrom the tool-holder laterally about the pivot 102 by means of aflexible arm 121 fixed at one end to the yoke 100 and connected at itsouter end by a spring 122 with a projecting arm 123 rigidly connected tothe tool-holder 105. A stop 12st on the bracket 7 prevents too greatprojection of the roll and causes it to move with the holder 105 whenthe latter is turned away from the jack by the mechanism abovedescribed.

Normally the roll 1 is held away from the path of motion of the jacks bymeans of the roll 5ft engaging the projecting parts 52 of the disk butwhen one of the jacks comes adjacent to the leveling-roll thetrundle-roll 54 is caused to move into one of the depressions 53 by thepressure of the weighted lever Se, the tool-holder being thereby made toswing toward the jack so as to bring the leveling-roll intoengagementwith the shoe.

In order that the force of the weight 93 tending to hold the roll 54against the cam may not be overcome by its momentum diie to the rapidrising of the horizontal arm of the bell-crank 84.1-, a spring 95 isinterposed between the end of the arm and the weight, and causes theweight to exert a downward pressure at all times on the lever. lfdesired, this spring 95 may be connected to a stationary part of themachine.

The roll 1 is designed particularly to operate on the shank part of theshoe to press down and compact the edges of the sole at that portionwhich has the sharpest curvature, the rolls 80 and 45 being designed toperform the leveling` operation on the forepart of the sole, and inorder to restrict the operation of the roll 1 to act-ion upon the shankpart alone, there is provided mechanism for stopping the oscillation ofthe roll and its holder about the axis of the spindle 10i when the endof the shank part of the sole comes into engagement with the roll. rfhisis effected by mechanism which throws out the clutch by which theeccentric 107 is connected to the shaft 29. This eccentric is looselymounted on the shaft so that the latter can turn withont rotating theeccentric, and is provided with a clutch 125 adapted to be engaged withthe shaft 20 so as to rotate therewith, and provided with a projectionor dog 126 extending into the path of motion of cams 127 pivoted at 12Sto the cam-disk 51. There are as many cams as jacks ant. they are sopositioned that as soon as one jack reaches the point where the heel endof the shank of a shoe carried by it is opposite the roll, a cam 12Tcomes into engagement with the dog 126 and turns it to throw in theclutch 125 and start the roll oscillating. As soon as the cam passes thedog, the latter is allowed to return to its inoperative position and theclutch is disconnected and the oscillation of the roll stops. .Since thecam is pivoted near one end, by turning it about its pivot a greater orless extent of its surface is presented to act on the dog, as will beevident from an inspection of the drawings, and consequently the periodof time during which the clutch is CAD i the roll 1 is pivoted in a yokeo connected may be varied. For shoes having a short shank, only a smallextent of the cam is projected, while for longer shoes more of the camsurface is presented. By suitably adjusting` the cams, therefore, theroll may be made to operate properly on a shoe of any length, and tostop as soon as the end of the shank part has passed. Preferably therewill be enough friction at the pivots of the cams to hold the latterproperly in Whatever position of adjustment they may be given.

Any suitable form of clutch capable of performing the result desired maybe used. For purj'ioses of illustration have shown in Figs. 2a and 2bone such clutch, although of course it Will be understood that any othermay be used. The eccentric 107 is shown as having a hub 291 having aflaring recess in which enters the tapered end of the sleeve 292 mountedupon the shaft 29 so as to rotate therewith, but capable of sliding'longitudinally thereon, being held by any device capable ofaccomplishing this result, such as by the key 293. The clutch member 125is permissibly a collar which is mounted upon a cam 125a affixed to theshaft 29 and having a cam portion 125). lVhen the arm 120 is moved tothe left as seen in Fig. 2n or to the right as seen in Fig. 2b theclutch collar is forced by the cam surface 125" tovard the end of shaft129, crowding the tapered sleeve into frictional engagement with the hubof the eccentric. After the cam 127 has pzesed the arm 126 the parts arerestored to normal position by a spring 120a which .is set into theclutch collar 125 and bears at one end against a shoulder 120b on thestationary cam member, and at the other end against an abutment 126c andthe clutch collar.

A pointer 129 fixed to the machine frame is provided in order toindicate the position which a` jack should occupy when a shoe is put onit in order that the shank of the shoe may be properly engaged by theroll 1.

1n the form of the machine shoivn in Figs. et, 5 and 0, the mainfeatures are the same but .many details are different. 1n this form lpivotally mounted so as to be capable of turning in a bearing Ll whichis formed on au arm 5 mounted in a bearing formed in a tool-holdermounted in a manner similar to that of the holder 105, and the roll isoscillated from side to side by an arm 3 which is connected 'to thelower end of the arm or spindle 5 and is operated from the crank-disk 75through a connecting rod 9 joined to the crank-arm 8 by aball-and-socket joint 76, and by a similar joint 77 to a block 7 3mount-ed in a radial groove 79 in the crank-disk. By adjusting the block78 toward or away from the shaft 64 on which the disk 75 is mount ed theamount of throw of the arm 5 and consequently the inclination ofthe roll1 with respect to the edge of the sole on which it acts may beregulated. The mechanism for rotating the acks comprises a Worm-gear 67mounted on shaft 11 and operated by a Worm GG on the shaft, which isdriven by the shaft G1 in the same manner as is shaft 111. The means forstarting and stopping the oscillation of the roll and for retarding the.motion of the jack when the forward end of the shank part of a shoecomes into contact with the roll are also different in the modifiedform. The former means comprises mechanism for connecting anddisconnecting the disk f5 to and from its shaft. This disk is looselymounted on shaft G1 and has a clutch member adapted to be engaged with acomplemental clutch member 8f) mounted on the shaft 64 so as to rotatetherewith, but to be capable of 'sliding longitudinally thereon, andwhich is connected to one end of the lever 88 pivoted at 87 to themachine frame. On the sam-e pivot S7 is mounted a lever 8G adjustablyconnected to lever 83 by clamp-stud 92 engaging slot 91 in an arc-shapedprojection 90 of the lever and carrying a roll 32 which is normally heldin engagement with the cani-disk 8() by a spring 94, as shown in Fig. 3.The disk S0 is provided With a plurality of projections S1 which areadapted to force the roll 82 away from the disk, causing it to turnabout its pivot and move the lever 88 with which it is connected in sucha direction as to throw the clutch member S9 into engagement With theclutch member carried `by the disk 75. The number of projections 81 onthe disk 30 is the same as th-e number of jacks carried by the head, andthey are so arranged as to engage the roll 32 and connect the clutchmembers at the same time that the roll 1 comes into engagement with theshank of a shoe carried by one of the jacks, and the Width of theprojections is such that the clutch is disconnected as soon as the endof the shank portion has passed by the roll, thus causing theoscillating motion about the axis of the arm 5 to cease at the pointindicated, the subsequent action of the roll on the forepart of the shoebeing the same as that of the other levcling-rolls- Lever 8G also isconnected at 131 with a link 132 having a pivotal connection With aclutch-arm 232 mounted on the shaft 11 and connected to operate a clutch133 by which the gear 07 and cam 80 are caused to detachably engage theshaft, they being loosely mounted on the shaft but rigidly connectedtogether. By this linkage, when the roll S2 is moved by a projection 31and the roll 1 made to oscillate, the head 13 is at the same timedisconnected from its actuating' meehanism and allowed to come to restafter its momentum has carried it far enough for the forivard end of theshank of a shoe to come into engagement with the roll. Here it remainswhile the roll tilts back and forth, pressing down and rounding over theedges of the shank, until the projection Sl has' moved by roll 82 andthe arm 86 is returned, throwing out the oscillating mechanism andconnecting the jack-carrying head with the actuating gear. The lengthot' vthe acting faces of projections 8l determines the length of timethe roll l is in contact With a shoe and the number o'l' impacts it willmake on the edges of the shank.

By reason of the oscillating movement described, which is so rapid thatseveral oscil lations may take place while the shank is passing by theroll, the surface of the roll is inclined at a sharper angle to theedges of the shank part ot the sole than would be the case itt' no suchmotion were given. The rotatable connection of the roll to the yoke l0()of Figs. l, 2 and 3, and its pivotal connection to the arm 5 of Figs.fl, 5 and (5 being substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotationof said yoke and arm, allows the roll to turn so as to accommodateitself to the diti'erent curvatures of the inner and outer edges of theshoe-sole.

I claim l. A sole-leveling machine comprising a jack having aprogressive movement in a predetermined path, a pivoted trame adapted toswing toward and from the path of the jack, and a leveling-tool carriedby said fra-me and adapted to move laterally so as to vary theinclination of the tool With respect to the jack.

A sole-leveling machine comprising a jack, and a tool mounted to operateon a sole carried by said jack and arranged to osciliate about an axisextending in the same general direction as the length of the sole onwhich. the tool is acting and also to turn about an axis perpendicularto said irstnamed axis and to the sole.

ri sole-leveling machine comprising a jack, a tool mounted to operateo-n a sole carried by said jack and arranged to oscillate about an axisextending in the same general direction as the length otl the shoe onwhich the tool is acting and also to turn about an axis perpendicular tosaid firstnamed axis and to the sole, and means for oscillating saidtool about one of said axes.

4l. A solesleveling machine comprising a jack, a tool-holder pivoted formovement toward and from said jack, and an operating tool comprising aroll carried by said toolholder and arranged to turn about three axessubstantially perpendicular to each other.

A sole-leveling machine comprising a jack adapted to move progressivelyin a predetermined vpath, a tool adapted to act on a sole carried bysaid ack, means to oscillate said tool, said means being normallyinoperative, and means for rendering said tooloscillating meansoperative during the period in which the shank portion of a sole is inengagement With said tool. t

G. A sole-leveling machine comprising a jack having a progressivemovement in a predetermined path, and a tool adapted to operate on asole carried by said jack and mounted ior rotary movement laterally ofthe jack about an axis approximately co incident with the center of theacting face of the tool and also to turn about a second axis transverseto the said first axis and in line with the center oi the acting Jfaceof the tool.

7. A soleleveling machine comprising a jack having a progressivemovement in a predetermined path, an operating tool, means toralternately holding said tool first yieldingly in the path of said jackand then out ol? said path, the tool being arranged to act on a solesupported by the jack, and means for oscillating the tool laterallyabout the jack While the tool is acting on the shank portion oi a sole.

S. A sole-leveling machine comprising a jack having a progressivemovement in a predetermined path, an operating tool, means foralternately holding said tool first yieldingly in the path of said jackand then out of said path, the tool being arranged to act on a. solesupported by the jack, means for oscillating the tool laterally aboutthe jack While the tool is acting on the shank portion ot a sole, andmeans for rendering said tool-oscillating means inoperative at all othertimes.

5). A sole-leveling machine comprising a series of jacks revolvedprogressively in a circular path, an operating tool, means foralternately holding said tool irst yieldingly in the path of the jacksand then out ot' said path, the tool being arranged to act on the solesupported by each jack, mechanism adapted to be rendered operative orinoperative for constantly altering the inclination ot said tool withrespect to said path, and means 'for rendering said mechanism operativeWhile the shanks of the soles are in engagement with the tool andinoperative at all other times.

10. A sole-leveling machine comprising a jack having a progressivemovement in a predetermined path, a tool adapted to operate on a solecarried by said jack, means to oscillate said tool laterally Withrespect to the jack, and means for moving the jack, said means beingconstructed and arranged to permit retardation of the jack While theroll is in contact With the shank part of the sole.

1l. A sole-leveling machine comprising a jack adapted to moveprogressively in a predetermined path, a tool adapted to act on a solecarried by said jack, means to oscillate said tool, said means beingnormally inoperative, and means for rendering said tool-oscillatingmeans operative during the period in which the shank portion of a soleis in engagement With said tool, said means being adjustable to vary theperiod of operation.

l2. A sole-leveling machine comprising a jack adapted to moveprogressively in a predetermined path, a tool adapted to act on a solecarried by said ack, means to oscillate said tool, said means being'normally inoperative, and means comprising a. clutch and a cam movingsimultaneously with the ack adapted to actuate the clutch, for renderingsaid toolsoscillating means operative during the period in which theshank portion of a sole is in engagement with said tool.

13. A sole-leveling machine comprising a jack having a progressivemovement in a predetermined path, a tool adapted to operate on a solecarried by said jack, means to oscillate said tool laterally withrespect to the jack, and means for moving the jack constructed to movethe jack With a relatively very slow mot-ion While the roll is incontact With the shank part of the sole and with greater speeds at othertimes.

14. A sole-leveling machine comprising a jack having a progressivemovement in a predetermined path, a tool adapted to operate on a solecarried by said jaclgmeans to oscillate said tool laterally With respectto the jack, and means for moving the jack comprising driving and drivenrotatable members engaging each other With constantly-varying lengths oflever arms and angles ofrelative movement, constructed to move the jackwith a relatively very slow motion While the roll is in contact with theshank part of the sole and with greater speeds at other times.

In testimony Whereoic I have affixed my signature, in presence of twoWitnesses.

HAROLD A. vWEBSTER.

Vitnesses:

E. BATCHELDER, C. F. BROWN.

